Folding ladder



oct. 13, 19,25. 1,557,490

J. VIDETTA FOLDING LADDER Filed June 13. 192.4

Patented Oct. 13, 19.25.

* UNITED STATES JOHN vinm'rn, or WEEHAWKEN, NEW .Innen/Y.

FOLDING LADDER.

Application led June 13, 1924. Serial No. 719,794.

yTo all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VIDETTA, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Weehawken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in folding' ladders wherein the cross rungs of the ladder are pivotally connected at their ends tothe side rails to permit the side rails to be moved toward each other for collapsing or folding the ladder and lto facilitate transportation of the same and protection tothe rungs when being handled.

A further object of the invention is to provide va folding ladder wherein the side rails are formed of hinged sections capable of being folded to present av ladder of the step-ladder type with brace bars extending between the sections of the side rails for holding the same in set up position as a with the present invention, and in extended position,

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view of.`

the ladder,

Figure 3 is a front elevational view show'- ing the hinged sections of the side rails of the ladder moved to a step-ladder formation,

Figure 4 lshows the ladder in folded position, f

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the ladder, with the brace bars connecting the sections of the side rails,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view showing the cross rungadjacent the hinged` Aends of the ladder sections, and

Figure 7 is a detail sectionalY view taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 1.

The ladder embodies a pair of side rails 1 and 2 with each rail.` formed of a pair of sections that are hinged together' as at'3 intermediate the ends of the side rails. The opposed faces of the side rails 1 and 2 are' longitudinally grooved at 4 and cross Vrungs 5 are pivotally supported at their ends as at G within the grooved portions of the. rails as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

To accommodate folding of the ladder with the side rails 1 and 2 moved into abutting relation, the abutting hinged ends of the sections 1 of the rail 1 carry* outwardly directed enlargements 7 while the opposed faces of the upper and lower ends, of the sections 2a o-f the rail 2 carry enlargements 8. The outer ends of the-enlargements 7 are angnlarly cut as at 7 f and the inner ends of the enlargements 8 are angularly cut as at 8", while the enlargements contact yeach other when the rail sections 1a and 2L are folded on their hinge connection 3. The rungs 5 being pivoted at their ends to the side rails, the same are moved into the rail grooves 4 when the rail sections are moved toward each other as shown in Fig. 4 and the angularly out outer ends of the railsections 1f1L and the abutting ends of the rail sections 2a respectively engage the angle faces 7a and 8a of the enlargements 7 and 8. With the ladder in the folded position shown in Fig. 4, the side rails are retained in abutting relations by the hook 9 engaging the pin 9a as illustrated.. The handle 11 facilitates carrying the devie.

In disposing the sectional ladder in ste ladder formation, as shown in` Fig. '5, t e links 10a are each pivoted at oneend as at 11a to one of the side rail sections and slotted as at 12 to receive a pin 13 carried b the other side rail section, the links ,hol ing the rail sections at the p-roper angularity for setting up the device in step lad: der formation.

When the sections are extended as shown in-Fig. 1, an intermediate rung 5 is located at the hinged connection 3, the rung 5a being pivoted at its ends to the rail enlargement .7 and the abutting hinged ends of the rail sections 2a. To hold the ladder-Sections in extended position, arms 14, hinged to the enlargements 7 have side ,notches 15 adjacent. their outerendsthat receive the adjacent rungs 5 and brace the sections and reduce strains on the hinge connections between 'the ladder sections.

From the above `detailed description of the device, it is believed that the-construction and operation thereof will at once be understood, and while there is herein shown and described the-preferred embodiment of the present inventlon, it is ynevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and sco e of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is In al ladder of the type described, side rails formed of hinged sections, cross 'rungs pivoted at their ends to the side rails, the side rails being longitudinally grooved or their entire length to accommodate the rungs when the ladder is folded, lateral extensions on the opposed faces of the rails located at the hinged ends of the sections of one rail and at the outer ends of the sections of the other rail to provide for the complete housing of the rungs when the ladder is folded and with the side rails engaging, said side rails being adapted to have their sections swung on their hinges to provide aste ladder formation, links connecting the si e rail sections to hold the structure in its step ladder formation, an intermediate rung at the hinged ends of the side rails, and oppositely extending brace arms carried by and arranged in parallelism with the extensions located at the hinged ends of one side rail with said brace arms being adapted to hook over the run-gs located next above and below the said intermediate rung for holding the sections against folding movement while-in extended position or while in the form of a step ladder. c

In testimony whereof I afx my si nature.

JOHN VIDEI TA. 

